Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata, MD: $2,441 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
Learn more

La Plata, MD Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Plata, MD and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Plata, MD and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in La Plata, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

La Plata, MD $2,441
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,635 in La Plata, MD versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

La Plata, MD $3,635
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,829 in La Plata, MD versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

La Plata, MD $4,829
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in La Plata, MD costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Plata, MD 79% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 $13.52

$20.35 $20.35

-33.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 $90.4

$84.7 $84.7

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 $7.62

$12.12 $12.12

-37.13%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$5.65 $5.65

11.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.68 $3.68

-23.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.36 $2.36

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$7.87 $7.87

-56.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$8.82 $8.82

-43.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.14 $1.14

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.69 $3.69

19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$3.31 $3.31

88.22%

Eggs

$1.81 $1.81

$4.15 $4.15

-56.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$12.98 $12.98

-2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$13.86 $13.86

-36.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$16.34 $16.34

-19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.69 $4.69

4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.45 $1.45

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$5.11 $5.11

23.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.52 $4.52

-1.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.08 $3.08

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.38 $2.38

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.80 $1.80

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.22 $2.22

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.97 $9.97

18.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 $14.37

$15.05 $15.05

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.91 $2.91

-42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.33 $3.33

53.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.22 $1.22

59.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$40.53 $40.53

43.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.78 $2.78

-1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 $1.65

1.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$35.39 $35.39

-16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.6K $32.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-4.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.5K $30.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

14.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$97.8 $97.8

$223 $223

-56.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.02 $42.02

$58.5 $58.5

-28.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$71.2 $71.2

3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 $40.39

$53.0 $53.0

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$14.06 $14.06

7.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$1,459 $1,459

-17.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

7.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.79 $47.79

$52.5 $52.5

-8.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 $36.43

$42.75 $42.75

-14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$86.4 $86.4

29.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$2,112 $2,112

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,230 $1,230

4.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$3,863 $3,863

-35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$2,407 $2,407

-12.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,038 $3,038

$7,426 $7,426

-59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 $2,428

$3,060 $3,060

-20.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,502 $6,502

$5,179 $5,179

25.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

6.82

-8.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.6%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 4.1% $53

Groceries & Markets

La Plata, MD

$398 16.3%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 2.9% $11

Eating Out

La Plata, MD

$255 10.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 36.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata, MD

$213 8.7%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 65.3% $139

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata, MD

$143 5.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 9.9% $14

Getting Around

La Plata, MD

$77 3.2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 26.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 14.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in La Plata, MD and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Plata, MD pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in La Plata, MD vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $410, with La Plata, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

12:46 12:46 PM

1 h behind La Plata, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Plata, MD Austin, TX 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

La Plata, MD
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

La Plata, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Plata, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making La Plata, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% higher in La Plata, MD, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,575 in La Plata, MD versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,441 per month in La Plata, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in La Plata, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

For families, La Plata, MD is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.